By Sarah Stuart
Donations will serve as the funding for new buildings at the Wasatch Campus for Utah Valley State College in Heber, said Barbara Von Diether, Dean of UVSC Wasatch campus.
Jeff and Molly Knowles, founders of Authorize.Net Corp. in Provo, donated $5 million to fund the first building for the UVSC facility, Von Diether said.
The fundraiser, “Our Community Campaign” was set up to acquire donations for community needs, including higher education, Von Diether said.
“We targeted the entire community,” Von Diether said.
A recent survey of the county showed a 93 percent approval rate for the Wasatch campus. With that high approval rate, many people will contribute what they can, she said.
Organizers of the campaign approached the Knowles because the goal was to fund the campus from people within Wasatch County. Jeff and Molly graduated from Wasatch High School, and filled the need for that local source, Von Diether said.
Currently UVSC rents three buildings in downtown Heber to function as the temporary Wasatch campus, she said.
Student enrollment of 513 this semester increased 35 percent from last year’s fall semester enrollment, Von Diether said.
“The growth has been so phenomenal that we can’t ignore the need for a larger facility,” Von Diether said. “We anticipate in three years, we will have over 1,000 students at the Wasatch Campus. In ten years we will have 2,500 students.”
The tentative plans for the new building include 50,000 square feet to hold 15 classrooms, labs, administrative offices, student services, a library and an eatery, said Derek Hall, public relations director for UVSC.
The construction site is on land donated earlier this year, located a mile and a half north of Heber, Von Diether said.
“This campus will be the most spectacular location of any college campus in the state,” Von Diether said. “It has a fantastic view of the valley and Mount Timpanogos.”
The site and the funds for the first building are set, but the team working on this project will need to go through certain steps to complete the process, she said.
Next week the state building board will need to authorize the proposed building. Approval is also required of the state Legislature and the board of regents. These decisions are based on need, enrollment and population trends Von Diether said.
If all goes smoothly and on schedule, the new building will open for classes Fall 2002, Von Diether said.
